Rapid Fire Nov. 19, 2012: US Army Weapon Systems

The US Army released its 2013 Weapon Systems handbook, a 378-page catalog that gives snapshots covering each system’s mission, description, the program’s status, whether foreign military sales are involved, and projected activities over the next couple of years. The unwieldy digital format can be exported to 2 hefty PDF files.

The Peter G. Peterson Foundation has rounded up fiscal scenarios from several American think tanks that try tackle US federal funding conundrum, or “fiscal cliff” to use the hyperbolic phrase of the moment. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget charted these various alternatives.

An internal memo from an official at the UK Ministry of Defence notes widespread corrosion on the HMS Astute submarine, sees it as “a cause for major concern.” The boat’s commanding officer comes to its defense.

Is the General Services Administration (GSA) a mandatory source for DoD acquisition? That is a good question, since US federal rules (FAR 8) place GSA schedules high in the acquisition hierarchy of priorities, and while nothing says otherwise in the DoD-specific DFARS, in practice that guidance is not enforced within the Pentagon. Hopefully regulation will eventually be clarified.

Two teams within the US Army Research, Development and Engineering Command are working together to apply to ammo experience with plastics packaging originally used to conserve ready-to-eat meals from moisture. ARDEC/NSRDEC.

Rosoboronexport representative Sergey Kornev says that Russia has approved a loan to Bangladesh, in order to buy Yak-130 or SU-27 fighters. The cheaper Yaks make far more sense as a replacement to the BBB’s FT-6 (MiG-19) trainers, and a ground attack companion to its Chinese J-7 (MiG-21) and Russian MiG-29 fighters. Still, one should never underestimate the role of ego in these decisions.